Academician Emil Djakov Institute of Electronics

The Institute of Electronics at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences was established in 1963 as a non-profit state organization to conduct research and education as well as dissemination of scientific knowledge in the fields of Physical Electronics, Photonics and Quantum Electronics and Radio sciences. Soon, the institute of electronics evolved as a leading scientific institution in these areas of applied physics and engineering within Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and in Bulgaria.

Throughout the several decades of its history, the activities of the institute were expanded toward fast developing fields of applied physics and engineering, such as high technology material fabrication, treatment and analysis, nanosciences and nanotechnologies, nanoelectronics, photonics, optoelectronics, quantum optics, environmental monitoring, biomedical photonics and applications.

Key research areas

The investigations in physical electronics are focused on the generation and control of electron and ion beams and their interaction with matter. Novel techniques, theoretical modeling, experimental and industrial equipment are developed for surface modification, thin film deposition and characterization, welding and melting of metals by intense electron beams in vacuum. The physical basis is studied of technology of fabrication of nano-dimensional structures using electron and ion beams. Computer simulation and experimental investigations are carried out on electron and ion lithography of submicron and nanoelectronic structures.

The possibilities are explored of creating nanomaterials and nanoelectronic elements utilizing superconducting carbon and polymer films and experimental devices on that basis. Another area of research concerns fundamental properties of gases and plasma of rare gases and metal vapors; restoring electron-molecule cross-sections; modeling of binary interactions in molecular gases for industry, ecology and spectroscopy needs. Arc plasma and arc plasma torches are studied in view of diagnostics and applications, such as plasma-assisted formation of thin films and coatings, and realization of plasma-chemical processes. Langmuir probe measurements are employed for diagnostics of chemically active plasma discharges.

The research in photonics and quantum electronics includes: experimental and theoretical studies of the interaction of pulsed and ultrashort-pulsed laser radiation with matter; new technologies based on near-field optics, plasmonics and nanostructuring; laser deposition and processing of active and passive optical and magnetic films; electromagnetically induced transparency and absorption in alkali atoms with metrological applications; investigations and development of complex laser systems for modification and analysis of semiconducting and HTSC materials; theoretical and experimental studies of nonlinear optical phenomena; bio-medical photonics.

The research in radio sciences is concentrated on studying the interaction of optical and microwave electromagnetic radiation with the atmosphere and Earth surface, namely, laser radar remote sounding and monitoring of the atmosphere, microwave radiometric sensing of the soil moisture; detection, amplification and signal processing techniques for extraction and interpretation of information; design of microwave devices for radar and communication system applications; nonlinear processes in optical communication media.

Scientist from the institute are actively involved as experts in the work of a number of governmental and international organizations, such as the National Scientific Fund, the Higher Attestation Commission, specialized scientific boards at the Higher Attestation Commission, scientific boards at other institutes within the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, academic boards of universities, editorial boards of Bulgarian and international scientific journals, expert boards of the European Commission, program committees of national and international scientific events.